Here you will find a step-by-step method to pierce up to 3 levels of aquifer that minimizes both the chance of death and job cancellation spam. It is also a very rapid process. If you are willing to cheat (savescum/dfreveal) then the system can be enlarged to a near limitless size. It is based on the Concentric Rings that were first demonstrated by [a user I can't find in a succession game]. I am aware several others have done this before me on the forum, but I think my system mixes best the neccessities of speed, safety (those starting 7 are much more precious than subsequent migrants), full aquifer penetration and ease of use.
You will need construction materials (wood is fine) but otherwise there are no special requirements. The system detailed here will need to be covered over if you are in a frozen area (use f-1 as f). I recommend that if you plan to bring more than 2 miners that you give them at least some swimming ability owing to their propensity to channel out the floor beneath their fellow miners and plunge them into the water, the main cause of death I've encountered with this system.
You will need at least 2 layers between the floor and the aquifer. Immediately build a down stair well and up/down stair cases until you hit a damp tile and then build a further up/down in the damp tile. You will now know where the aquifer starts, the up/down that is now flooded, and if it is more than one layer deep, if the tile below the last up/down is rock then you only have 1 layer to pierce.
F
F-1
F-2
(There can be layers between here, however for this demonstration there are not)
A
A-1
Assuming there are at least 2 z-levels between the floor (f) and the aquifer (a) you are now ready to begin. Let us assume the worst case scenario, an aquifer that is 3 layers deep. Go down to a-4, the first completely safe layer of rock. Remember, a-3 will be rock as well but if you dig this out anywhere other than where you breached the aquifer you will flood your fortress as the aquifer comes pouring through the ceiling. Design your entry way. I have decided to do something simple but effection a gently descending ramp which will impress upon arriving traders the true glory that is Dwarven Engineering as they enter the fortress.
A-4
A-3
A-2
...
A+1 with prospecting stairwell in the top left
With the bottom of your entryway designed, we move up the z-levels designating each level as we go. Imagine there is no aquifer, it is but a nuisance we shall crush with the earth itself. Once you have reached the floor (f), designate a channel to surround your entire entrance design (from a-3 to f) on floor level.
Remove all the designations you've plotted, we don't want the dwarves running ahead of us.Now you have the Inner ring planned. Ensure all the land at floor level is flattened as well as a 6 tile wide border. With everything flattened, designate a second channel surrounding the InnerMostRing 2 urists away, there should be 2 tiles of untouched land followed by the channel. Do the same again to create three rings of earth; the Inner, Middle and Outer.
Once these rings have been channeled and cleared of trees, construct a wall in each rings top left corner. Build a second wall with a ramp to the left of it parallel to each ring wall 3 tiles away from the edge of the Outer ring. N.B. in this demo they are only two tiles away which is sufficent 99% of the time. Once these walls are completed, connect them on f+1 using constructed floors. Remember, it is not necessary for the Constructed Floor to be built on top of the walls, just up to them.
F
F+1
Channel all the existing channels one further level, your miners will end up stuck on f-2. Now clear out all the space between f-2 and a+1. Remember, a is the z-level which will flood if dug out, you want to clear to the z-level ABOVE that so we can channel into the aquifer. This space is called the Drop Zone. Construct an access stairwell with room for a door from a+1 back to f. Construct a door and place it between the stairwell and the drop zone to ensure that the space can be sealed off when needed.
F-1
Channel into the aquifer, leaving a border of 1 tile around the edge of the area cleared on a+1. Remember to not channel the whole thing at once or your miners won't be able to cross the water. Start with the centre and designate one row either side. Once this has been done, select a suitable location and channel into the aquifer on the OPPOSITE side of the drop-zone border. These will be drainage holes. The more drainage holes you can make here, the faster we will be able to drain the rings after dropping them. I recommend 1 hole per 10 tile edges. (so a 10x10 will have 4 drainage holes). Order the construction of 1 Enormous Wooden Corkscrew, 1 Wooden Pipe Section and 1 Wood Block for every drainage hole.
A+1 Before
A+1 After
We are now ready to commence the first drop.
Get everyone and everything out of the drop zone and lock the door. Deconstruct the wall (and ramp if desired) connected to the Outermost ring. Watch as your dwarf deconstructs the wall. SLAM. Down goes the OuterMost ring and aquifer level 1 is now our bitch. The Outermost ring is now blocking the water from the aquifer. The water that is displaced up by the ring will now flow down the drainage holes.
Our dwarf removes the supporting wall
The Outer Ring plummets into the edge of the channeled out area, sealing it from the aquifer
Our dwarf happily wanders off to get some well earned booze
The displaced water quickly drains off thanks to the drainage holes
A is now sealed off from the aquifer. But what to do with all that water?
You will note that a is still full of water. This is normal. Construct screw pumps level with each drainage hole and wall the space between the inaccessible tile and the drainage hole. Finally, channel the tile that is across from the access stairwell to provide access to a. Switch on the screw pumps and wait for a to be drained.
Layer a is still full of water
Our screw pumps are dumping the water back into the aquifer but outside the plug
Our miners arrive to channel out the next layer (a-1)
Once A has been drained, repeat the above steps. Channel the floor down into a-1, leaving a border around the edge. Do NOT construct any drainage holes, they will not function from now on. Once the Middle drop zone is cleared, get everyone out of the area and deconstruct the middle supporting wall.
The Middle Ring is ready to go
A has been cleared
A-1 has been channeled down into from A
The middle ring is released
And plugs the aquifer off from A-1
Construct screw pumps level with your originals, so that when they are both pumping the water is sent to the drainage hole. Remember to include the border walls. Channel a new access ramp in line with your previous one.
The pumps are manned on A but the water from A-1 isn't going anywhere
Don't forget to switch on the pumps on A+1!
We have stuck stone! The miners be praised. This aquifer was only 2 layers thick, had it been a third we would simply have repeated what has gone before; channel out the inner ring, leaving a border of one to hold the aquifer back
One last time, channel out the floor on A-1 and clear the site. Drop the Inner ring.
A-2 (which was rock in this demo) full of the Inner Ring
A-2 with the inner ring channeled out. If A-2 was an aquifer layer this space would no longer flood
A-3 will always [in my experience] be rock. The aquifer is now your bitch.
Pump out the water and channel down as you originally planned. Remember, digging into the rock on A-3 anywhere with land over it will cause the aquifer to spill in from the ceiling so get down to A-4 before doing any extensive digging.
A-4 - S marks the safe layer
You have now piereced the aquifer without killing a single dwarf or having masses of job cancellation spam. If you wish, you can now remove the screw pumps and their associated walls and cover over any drainage holes. Once you get the hang of this, you can have your dwarves under the deepest aquifer before summer ends. Even a construct of this size was done before Winter.
The descent into madness
Passing the pumps and access shaft
Descending below the aquifer
The depot; ready before the traders even arrived
I hope you found this tutorial helpful. I can't do wiki formatting so do feel free to copy this information into the wiki if you think it will be helpful there.
MODIFICATIONS/PROTIPS: If you only have to pierce a 2 deep aquifer (you won't know until you've punched through the second level), you can leave the Inner ring hanging where it is either as a starting point for a ceiling or an emergency fortress sealant (if you CAREFULLY swap one of the walls for a Support) in the event of Fun coming up from the depths.
A single layer aquifer can be defeated simply using an inner ring and drainage holes.
If you constuct your Inner ring large enough, you can fit a pumpstack in there to unlock infinite source/infinite drainage water without the need to dig to the maps edge.
Ensure your embark doesn't cross multiple biomes, or at least if it does you know where. Biomes can displace the aquifer so your prospecting stairwell might give you a different result to the actual project.
Author
Topic: How To Pierce 3 Deep (and more) Aquifers Safely, Quickly and Simply [Pics too] (Read 8295 times)